Place Names

Place NamesNew Castle, NH compiled by Carol White, July 2019

Amazeen Field – site of Maude Trefethen School, Deed 463:131 - 1877Anthony’s Island – Pest Island (Chapter 24, History of New Castle by Ken Maxam), which is in PortsmouthAunt Porter’s Field – In the 18th century this was a 2-acre field where the Sea Breeze Inn used to stand off of Ocean St. Was owned by Reuben Mace. Named for Margaret Ann Porter wife of Allen (History of New Castle, Chapter 41, Ivan Meloon section).(The) Back Road – Portsmouth Avenue by the school, (F. S. White)Batchelder’s Point – Campbell’s Island, point at which the ferry left from, to (1) Mason House (2) Sherburne’s Pt, (3) Strawberry Banke (GRIST publication 1993)Battle Alley - Wentworth Road past the entrance to the Coast Guard Station down to Horner/Hart/Walton's House (from Ocean St. to the river-F. S. White). It was called that because Tom Haywood (who used to run a gambling house in Boston) lived there and was always fighting with someone.Beach Hill – hill on Ocean St (History of New Castle by Ken Maxam)Beach Hill Pasture – Deed 544:273- 1894, John Tarlton’s land off of Wentworth Rd. near Ocean St.(The) Beehive - A tenement house next to Gary Sullivan's at 22 Piscataqua St., torn down in 1940s. The lot now serves as the entrance to Salamander Lane. One of the Beehive families was named Beaver, and Gerry (girl) and Walter Beaver are in some of the school photos from the 1940s. The Griers owned the property and their year- round caretaker (George Starr) lived in a small cottage at the rear of the tenement, which is now the Epstein garage on Salamander Lane. (Ann Miller McAndrew and Robert Calkins)Bell’s Lane – Steamboat Lane, (F. S. White)Bell Street – part of Locke Rd, see Plan #29512 (Rockingham County Deed index)Blunt’s Island – in Rye, aka Sherburne’s Point (History of New Castle, chapter 32)Bos’n’s Hill (1665/66) – rocky hill granted to George Walton 1665/66, (GRIST publication 1993)Brier Side Cemetery – aka Riverside Cemetery, deed 674:255 - 1890Brackett’s Store/Anderson’s Market/Shapleigh’s Store/ The Whalesback Shop – 108 Main Street, north side, 2016-condos - Whalesback Shop run by Gene Morrill in 1964 (Recollections of a New Castle Octogenarian) Bracket had two stores. His first one was at 103 Main St. (Marion Rowe’s house) which sold groceries and gas.Brothwell Swamp – swamp between Shaw’s bridge and the beach, across Wentworth Road from Gene and Nella Morrill'sBrown Cow Field – at the end of Wild Rose Lane, ocean side, Stedman’s propertyBull Toad Pond – off Beach Hill Road (F. S. White) and next to Common property, partially filled inCampbell's Island - Pomfret's Point (1651), Bachelor's PointCamp Langdon – currently the New Castle Common, see also Frostfields(The) Cape – area going north from Oliver Street by the river, (F. S. White)Card Livery Stable – 103 Main Street where Marion Rowe livedCemetery Hill – hill behind where Riverside Cemetery is locatedClamshell Corner – corner where Walbach St. & Wentworth Rd. intersect, (F. S. White)Clark’s Neck – the cape area of 100 acres, grant of land from Francis Mathes (Mathews) to George Walton, then to John Clark. (GRIST publication 1993)Cod Rock/Great Rock (near Ft. Point) –The old pier leads out to this rock on the New Castle Common (F. S. White)Cooper’s Calm – cove at Daniel Tarbell’s residence (F. S. White)-end of Tarbell LaneCotton’s Point – point of land near the Seybolt (red) house now owned by ColeCurtis Hotel – on Cranfield StreetDaddy Neal’s Lane – road from Cranfield Street to the pit, (F. S. White) Pit was a former quarry and later the dump.Devil’s Cave – cave in the rocks near the Wentworth Hotel Pier (1980) (F. S. White)(The) Drinking Place – spring in the small opening in the long stone wall, running parallel to Wentworth Ave. on the west side and a few roads in toward Lavenger’s Creek. (History of New Castle by Ken Maxam, chapter 40)Eaton Circle – deed 1135:495, probably circular driveway leading to Laurie Clark’s houseEcho Point – point of land sticking into the Piscataqua on Goat Island or ledge nearby. (John Adams' photo book "Drowned Valley")Elephant Rocks – ledge off of Vennard’s Court to the right of the Horsey Rocks (per Paul Amazeen)Ellins Island – Pest Island, (The History of New Castle, by Ken Maxam, Chapter 36)Elm Tree Cove – cove between Jerry’s Point and New Castle CommonFairy Field – land north of Wild Rose Lane formerly owned by Edmund Stedman (History of New Castle by Ken Maxam, 1975, Chapter 19 & deed 512:226)First Cross Street – probably Walbach Street - Portsmouth Journal of Literature and Politics – 5 Nov. 1825 – There’s an ad for sale of a lot in New Castle. The property is bordered by Main and First Cross Street near the Meeting House and adjoins the estate of the late John Simpson, Esquire.Fish Pasture – was in Marvin’s Field next to the breakwater (Gene Morrill)Floyd Farms – off Wild Rose Lane, Ivan’s Meloon’s notebook: "Jerre's Point Road and Property"Fort Constitution – Fort Hancock (during Rev. War), aka Fort William and Mary, located on Fort PointFort Stark – at the end of Wild Rose Lane.Fort Wharf – (1893) end of Wentworth Rd, next to Walton’s Tavern/Hart/Horner House, the Landing (1894)Foster’s Island – just off of Duck’s Head per town zoning mapFox Point/Salamander Point – John L. Hall lived there in 1917, Irving Butterworth also lived here, on the river.Frame Point/Pleasant Point – in Portsmouth, location where toll house used to be, spot where bridge leaves Portsmouth to go to Shapleigh IslandFront Cemetery – Frost Cemetery - an error in transcription in deeds 558:166, 599:347-1900, 605:90-1904, 1046:230Frost Burying Ground – deed 556:238 - 1897Frost Court – Elm Court, (deed 416:395-1867)Frostfields – Wendell’s house on current Common/Camp Langdon propertyGoat Island (1821) – Ward’s Island (1721, 1776), Governor Island, Amazeen IslandGoat Island Yacht Club – Irving Butterworth was Commodore, little building on the north side just before going over bridge to Shapleigh Island, has a pier (per Ann Miller McAndrew)Grandmother’s Garden – lot 43’ on Wentworth Rd & 12’ on Ocean St. – north side. Deed 431:493, 1871Grass Ground – pronounced “grarse ground”, located to the right of the wharf in West’s Cove. The town landing was historically described by the natives as the “grass ground”, and was the location of a small weather-beaten building called the “Tammany. (Chapter 22, History of New Castle by Maxam)Hackett’s Way - Hackett had a driveway or an access road from the foot of Ocean Street to his house at the east end of what is now Beach Hill RoadHackett’s Pasture – area fronting on the ocean from Ocean Street to Beach HillHart’s Cove/West’s Cove – north end of Wentworth Road, (GRIST publication 1993), see Mullen’s Cove for further infoHeartbreak Hill – corner of Cranfield & River RdHeight o’ Land – area of town north and west of Julie White’s hill (River Road) (F. S. White)Home Field – Deed 920:108-1936 & 931:33-1937. Marvin property bounded by River Road & Oliver StreetHor'em - The older boys used the area behind Gene Morrill's for hockey and for a skating game we called Hor'em - with one skater being "it" and all other skaters on one side of the pond trying to skate to the other side without getting tagged. Whoever was tagged was "it" for the next round. Naturally, we younger, slower skaters were caught more often and it was hard for us to tag those dreadfully fast older boys! (per Deb Schulte and others)Horsey Rocks – ledge on left side of Vennard’s Court on former Vennard/Fred White property. Per Steve White: Pogie Trefethen used to do all the black powder blasting in New Castle. He blasted out the ledge for George Vennard in the mid-1800s so he could construct the road into where Vennard’s house was to be built. One of the rocks blasted out flew up in the air and landed on the remains of the ledge. It looked like a horse’s head, so the ledge was called the horsey rocks. Later Pogie was breaking up some of the rocks in the cellar of Vennard’s house using black powder. One rock flew up through the floor of the house just missing Mrs. Vennard who was sitting in a chair holding a baby. Pogie said “Well, I guess I used a bit too much black powder.”In-A-Long – from Wentworth Rd. approaching the village (Fred White), see also p. 68-69 in Saltonstall's Ports of Piscataqua and Helen St. John's book, Inalong, Outalong, DownalongIsland House – Rand’s Tavern, on Walbach St – removed. Situated next to Kate Baker’s house which was across the street from the so-called Province House. History of New Castle, Ken Maxam, chapter 39Jerry’s Point – end of Wild Rose Lane, Fort Stark – incorrectly called Jaffrey’s Pt.Julia White’s Hill – hill on River Road, by former Becker residence, (F. S. White)Kelp Rock – property on Wild Rose Lane which belonged to Niles, deed 680:153Kimball’s Pond – Named after George and Nan Kimball who lived on Sea Breeze Lane. It was quite OPEN at the ocean front - some reeds growing in the area closest to the street, but nothing like today with trees growing there. There used to be a culvert between the pond/marsh and the ocean with lots of salt water washing in there. (per Deb Schulte)King shears/Kingshire Rocks – large rock in center of Sandy Beach (F. S. White, chapter 40-History of New Castle by Ken Maxam)Kitt’s Marsh – salt marsh southeast of Bos’n’s Hill, grant of Thomas Walford to son Jeremy, part to grandson Alexander Jones included Kitt’s marsh. Loven’s-Lavenger’s grant from Walford, also a house and 10-30 acres adjoining Albee’s Land. Big marsh in the middle of the island behind Tabbutt's house. (GRIST publication 1993)Kitt’s Rock – named for Christopher Amazeen who owned Kitt’s MarshLavenger’s Creek – between Bosun's Hill and Spring Hill Road and all the marsh land up toward Pit/Neal's Lane. Loven’s - Lavenger’s grant from Walford, also a house and 10-30 acres adjoining Albee’s landLeach’s Island – Clammon Island (1723)Town Library – 108 Main Street – see Brackett’s storeLittle Field – part of William Marvin’s homestead, Deed 920:108-1936, off River Rd.Locke Field – Deed 912:33-1935 & deed 931:33-1937. Owned by John Locke & later William Marvin off of Oliver Street.Locke, John, Farm – 40 acres between Oliver St. on north, current Maude Trefethen School on south & land between Portsmouth Ave. & Lavenger’s Creek-Deed 463:131-1877Locust/Locus Field – owned by Jonathan M. T. Vennard (1833), borders on Kitts Marsh, on Wentworth Rd. (History of New Castle, Chapter 39 by Ken Maxam)Logy Ledge - in the center of Pepperrell Cove on a line with the west end of Fishing Island and Fort McClary, removed in 1914Long Point – island on the west side of Wentworth Hotel property (F. S. White)Loven’s Upper and Lower lots Lover’s Lane – near present Spring Hill RoadLower Cove – Hart’s Cove/West’s Cove – north end of Wentworth Rd. (F. S. White)Lux’s Pond – see Robert Mussell’s 1717 land distribution. Off of Piscataqua St., where Millie Bruce’s house stood, (GRIST publication 1993)Mace’s Pond – (1838) east side of Wentworth Ave. near end of Sea Breeze Lane (see Kimball’s Pond)Mace Road – former name of Seabreeze Lane, per old town assessment mapsManwarring/Mainwaring Orchard (1757) – young orchards mentioned in first vote to refer a petition to the General court in order to raise money by a lottery to build a bridge over Little Harbor. Near or where the existing Wentworth Hotel is located. At the same place as the later bridges on west side of Wentworth propertyMarm Prescott – rock in the river across from the prison near the Badger residence (F. S. White). Alan Weston owns what was the Badger property, next to 158 Portsmouth Ave. The Badger house was moved up to the street, now 164 Portsmouth Ave. The new house of Alan Weston (yellow house at #168 Portsmouth Ave.) was built where the Badger house was. Alan has a dock. (J. Hammond)Meloon Swamp and Hill - Deed 544:273- 1894 Meloon’s land off of Wentworth Rd. near Ocean St.Mosquito Rock – rock on the Della-Mura property at the corner of Main & Cranfield Streets (F. S. White)Mullen’s Beach/Cove – beach in back of Coast Guard pier (F. S. White) (near current public rest rooms) – see Walbach Street entryMuskito Hall – The name of the house/property on Clark’s Neck - the cape area of 100 acres, grant of land from Francis Mathes (Mathews) to George Walton, then to John Clark (GRIST publication 1993)Mussell Hall – Land from north side of Piscataqua Street from the corner of Walbach to the town landing at the foot of Atkinson Street (GRIST publication 1993)Joseph Warren Neal Place – 104 Main St., History of New Castle, Ken Maxam, Chapter 41-Ernest Fremont RobinsonNeal Field – off of Portsmouth Ave. See deed 940:316-1931 (seems to head towards mill pond) Deed 786:299New Reservation – town common/Camp Langdon/FrostfieldsOcean Street/Beach Hill Road – laid out 30 Oct. 1663 to seaside and then to fort. One rod wide. (GRIST publication 1993)Old Doctor’s Field – area between Windmill Hill and the river (per Fred White) includes 104 Main St. per History of New Castle, Ken Maxam, chapter 41-Ernest Fremont RobinsonOut-A-Long – Wentworth Rd from the corner of Main Street (Fred White). Out-a-long ran along the ocean side of the island (Helen St. John)Pannaway Lodge – 38 Laurel Lane, rooming house for womenParsonage Garden – Deed 556:238 – 1897 – Henry’s Market to Walbach StreetPeter’s Trunk – outlet of drainage ditch on Wild Rose Lane, between Harrington & McCarthey properties (F. S. White)Piscataqua Street – aka River Road, deed 584:186Pistol Point/Haskins Point (1712) (ferry ran to Kittery from here, on John Frost’s property) north of present yacht club on Piscataqua St., named for William Haskins-1676, (Jerry Hayes, lived in the house on the point, regularly fired a pistol from the upstairs bedroom at flotsam coming down the Piscataqua River.) (GRIST publication 1993)Pollock Ledge – where the Ft. point Lighthouse is located (Andy White)(The) Pond – part of Ritson/Bell mill pond, Deed 878:346 – 1927 Potter’s Field – high land to the west of the library on Main Street (F. S. White)Prescott Field aka Prescott Field – deed 547:239Pull and Be Damned Point – on Goat Island, indicated by navigational light (F. S. White)Rand’s Hill – hill from causeway by Riverside Cemetery (F. S. White)Randall's Rocks - ledges along the river to the west of the Portsmouth Yacht Club on Piscataqua Street, just before the road turns onto Cranfield StreetRitson’s Mill – Bell’s Mill/Walton Mill/Vennard’s Tide Mill - part of Mill/Long (1766) Rock/Island and Little (1766)/Birch IslandRiver Road – aka Piscataqua Street or at least that section of road from the corner of Atkinson and Piscataqua Streets to the yacht club. Deeds 790:110 & 932:289Rose Crown Island – location in the Pool, where Tommy Davidson had his cottageSandy Beach – at the foot of Ocean St. (History of New Castle, chapter 13). Also the name of the town of Rye until 1726Secret Pond – Behind houses across from entrance to common off Wentworth RoadShapleigh/Shapley Island - Adams Island (1776), Henzel (1778)/Marvin/Moses Island (1905)Shaw’s Bridge – low spot on Wentworth Rd. near Pit Lane. (F. S. White) Causeway on Wentworth Rd. near Tarlton Cemetery gate, 32 feet long, built by George Walton, (GRIST publication 1993)Shaw’s Hill – hill on Wentworth Rd. near Doug & Peggy MacDonald’s residence. (F. S. White) Going from Pit Lane towards Main Street, MacDonald’s house is 3rd on the leftShaw’s Rock – about a ½ mile from the Portsmouth lighthouse – Portsmouth Journal 9 Nov. 1828Sheafe’s Point, Rye – point of land which borders the west side of Witch Creek and is currently part of the Wentworth Golf Club property. On the east side of Witch Creek is Frost Point.Sign of the Sun – 21 Nov. 1725 fragment says the selectmen will meet there to discuss abatements.(The Devil’s) Slide - Ledge in front of the Wesley Robert’s property on Bos’uns Hill (F. S. White)Snuff Box Island – located in the PoolStileman(1794)/Stielman(1910) Rock – off of beach with spindle, named for Elias Stileman who lived near present Coast Guard StationSunken Rocks (1794) – Gangway Ledge-originally extended from South Beacon Shoal to within 500 feet of the Navy Yard near the building ways. (Currently has a granite beacon)Sueter’s Pond - just west of Shaw's Bridge. The portion behind Fred White’s (Green’s) house, Suiter/Holloway and Morrill house is still there. The portion on Wentworth Road was filled in during sewer pipe construction.Tammany – a wharf with a small building in West’s Cove which sold liquor, late 1800s to early 1900s (Chapter 22, History of New Castle by Maxam)Tarlton Road – aka Pit Road (History of New Castle by Ken Maxam)Trefethen’s Mill – tidal mill behind the Wentworth Hotel owned by Abraham Trefethen back of Wentworth Hotel on Long Point (GRIST publication 1993)Trefethen’s Point - deed 383:437, 1859Upper Boat Yard – across from Riverside Cemetery and bordered by the street, river and Toomey’s propertyUpper Cove – Jones Cove (F. S. White)Veraneous Rand’s Point – point at which Coast Guard pier commences (F. S. White)Walbach Street - In earlier times this road may have extended across the shore of Mullins Cove, beginning at the old town landing at the easterly end of the road as it comes from Main Street, and proceeding in a northerly direction toward what is now known as Salamander Point. Index of House Locations by Ken MaxamWalford’s Swamp/Bartlett’s Swamp – on both sides of Wild Rose LaneWentworth Road – Barrett RoadWest’s Cove – gravel cove to the right of the Horner/Hart/Walton house on Walbach St. (Chapter 22, History of New Castle by Ken Maxam) & to the west of the Coast Guard Station, property formerly owned by Edward West, son-in-law of George WaltonWindmill Hill – rocky knoll behind the Historical Society – the former library (F. S. White)Windmills – off Ocean St (see above) not a grant of land, only permission to set it up. Also, one on Windmill Hill (see above)Wood Island – maybe Bush Island (1821) Location of the old Life Saving Station – Coast Guard Station – close by Whaleback Light, Fort Foster and Kittery Point, MEWhite Cat Tea Room - located between the Wentworth Golf Club and the Ice House. As you're heading out of New Castle between those two places is a house on a hill at the top of a steep driveway. That was the location of the White Cat Tearoom.